Against The Odds
by messyme11
Summary: Qui-Gon finds himself trapped on a planet where almost everyone is out to kill him and his padawan. With Obi-Wan injured he does everything in his power to keep his Padawan alive despite the fact that the odds are against him.
1. Prologue

Louvien was known as a quiet planet, the inhabitants kept mostly to themselves. They worked only in the mornings to avoid the heat of the day and took refuge in their homes as the afternoon sun burned bright. The natives of the planet, Obi-Wan Kenobi noted while studying the mission notes, had the build of humanoids. Their average height seemed to be about five foot tall and their skin was a bright pink color. As he flipped through the notes he realized that the planet did not have any known defensive measures. According to all known history there had never been a disturbance here so they felt no need to be prepared for one. The Padawan sighed heavily, trying to ignore the feeling of apprehension settling in the pit of his stomach as he and his Master exited hyperspace.

The Master Padawan team had been on their way back to Coruscant when the Council had commed to inform them of a disturbance they needed checked out on Louvien. "Master, how do you think they will feel about us showing up unasked?"

"The Louvien's history indicates that they are a nonviolent race so I suspect that while we may not be warmly welcomed they won't mind a great deal that we are here. If anything they may inform us that our assistance is not needed and send us on our way." Qui-Gon reassured his Padawan, knowing that Obi-Wan had felt something off with this mission from the moment the Council informed them of it. At fifteen years old Obi-Wan was quite in tune with the Force and Qui-Gon was learning to trust the boy's instincts. Though he too could sense something in the Force warning them, he could not pinpoint what it was warning them against. Seeing the planet come into focus ahead Qui-Gon braced himself for whatever the future held, trusting the Force to guide them with whatever was to come...


	2. Chapter 1

Qui-Gon had found himself on Lovien once before, shortly after being knighted. He had been injured on a particularly tough mission. After barely escaping with his life he programmed his ship to fly to the nearest planet. It was over a week before he was coherent enough to comm the council and let them know what happened. And another week after that before a ship arrived to take him home. He remembered the planet fondly, it had been full of life and the people had been kind to him. Though the village he had remained in was a few hours North he expected this one to be no different.

The planet's sun was just beginning to rise when his padawan brought the ship down in a gentle landing. He gently patted the boys shoulder in silent approval before they quickly gathered anything they made need without completely packing for an overnight stay. Qui-Gon doubted that they would be staying long therefore felt no need to bring most of their normal supplies. If plans changed they could always walk back to the ship to retrieve them, he reasoned.

Obi-Wan followed his Masters lead as they disembarked. They had landed a few miles outside the village having been unable to contact the Loviens for permission to land. He frowned slightly as the morning sun began to burn his skin, suddenly grateful for the fact that his Jedi issued uniform left little skin exposed. He now understood why the Loviens worked in the 'cool' of the morning. Though he would hardly call this cool. Shaking his head in slight disgust he trotted to catch up to his Masters longer stride.

* * *

Qui-Gon remembered the planet as busy and full of life, however as he and his Padawan entered the small village the only sound that could be heard was from a wooden sign creaking in the breeze. The few villagers they had seen when they first arrived had quickly disappeared into their homes and now not a single life form was within sight though Qui-Gon could sense them through the force. He could feel Obi-Wan tense alongside him and knew his sensitive Padawan was unsettled by whatever the force was trying to warn them against.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's voice held an urgent tone that instantly gained him Obi-Wan's complete attention. "Something is not right here. I feel we must leave immediately."

Qui-Gon barely registered Obi-Wan's nod of agreement before quickly changing directions and heading back towards the ship. They had only made it a few steps when flames rushed through the air slamming into their ship, soon followed by the loud boom of an explosion. The team stood in shock as the repercussion of the explosion hit them signaling the moment all hell would break loose. Before they had fully comprehended what had happened the villagers all came out of hiding, rushing at the Master Padawan team with vibroblades at ready.

"We're outnumbered Padawan, run!" Qui-Gon grabbed Obi-Wan by the arm as he spoke directing him towards the nearest opening. He was certain with their height difference and the help of the force they would be able to quickly out run the villagers. Determining that as soon as they were a safe distance away he would comm the Council for help. They made it to the outskirts of the village with the roar of the crowd behind them fueling their steps. Qui-Gon was convinced they would make it when a group of ten suddenly appeared in front of them. Skidding to a stop the team pulled their 'sabers from their belts and activated them, realizing this would not be an easy escape. Wordlessly Qui-Gon moved to the right to face half the group and Obi-Wan stepped to the left to cover the rest.

The Loviens were no stranger to battle, Qui-Gon quickly realized, despite the fact that all known history of the planet and its people indicated that they had a non-violent past. Their fighting style was quick and fluid, one would take a mock swing and as Qui-Gon moved to defend himself another would rush forward. If not for the warnings of the force and years of experience Qui-Gon would not have stood a chance against them. That line of thinking prompted him to quickly check on his Padawan through their bond. Obi-Wan was holding his own in the fight, but he could sense that it was taking everything in him.

Catching on to his opponent's pattern, Qui-Gon finally got the upper hand. Instead of moving to block the next mock swing he ignored the blade coming towards him and swung for the man the force warned would be the next to strike. With this technique he brought down three of the five that he was up against.

He could sense the rest of the village still running towards them and knew he and Obi-Wan had only a small window of time to end this fight and escape. With renewed energy he surged forward to end his fight with the remaining two. They were soon locked in a battle shear of will. All looking for an opening that would allow them the chance to deal a final blow.

As Qui-Gon lunged forward taking advantage of a sudden opening and managed to gravely injure one of the Lovien he felt a surge of pain through his and Obi-Wan's training bond. Moments later he sensed Obi-Wan throwing up mental shields to keep the pain from reaching his Master. Qui-Gon could still hear his Padawan fighting a few steps behind him and reasoned that he must not be seriously hurt, however he still put extra effort into taking out his last opponent. The need to get his potentially injured padawan to safety providing all the motivation he needed to end this fight.

Faking an attack, Qui-Gon managed to off balance the Lovien and used the opportunity to take him out. Hearing the roar of the villagers in the distance he spun on his heel, rushing to help Obi-Wan. He was relieved to see that his Padawan had taken out three of his opponents leaving just two more. Moving to fight alongside him, Qui-Gon caught one of the Loviens off guard and his sudden appearance distracted the other enough that his Padawan was able to get the upper hand. As both opponents crumbled he wordlessly grabbed Obi-Wan's arm and the two of them took off running just as the rest of the villagers caught up to them.

They ran full speed for over two miles before Obi-Wan began to slow down causing Qui-Gon, who had yet to let go of his Padawans arm, to slow to a light jog. They barely managed another half mile when Obi-Wan stumbled and fell to his knees, nearly bringing his Master down with him.

"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon gasped as he sank to his knees beside his Padawan. Obi-Wan had wrapped his arms around his stomach and was leaned forward so much that his forehead nearly touched the ground. Qui-Gon rested his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders and carefully pulled him upright. "Padawan, where are you hurt?"

"M-my side," Obi-Wan answered, his jaw twitching under the pressure of his clenched teeth.

Qui-Gon gently pulled his Padawans arms away from the wound revealing his blood soaked tunics. "Obi-Wan I need you to lay down so I can get a better look at the wound."

Obi-Wan merely nodded and allowed his Master to help him lay back, wincing as the movement pulled at his wound.

Qui-Gon quickly unlatched Obi-Wan's belt and lifted his tunic revealing a deep wound on his left side just below his ribs. Blood gushed from the wound, he had seen his Padawan hurt several times. He had sustained many wounds seemingly worse than this one that had bled less. He had been hurt roughly twenty minutes ago, typically Obi-Wan's blood clotted quickly. However that did not appear to be the case this time as it didn't show any signs of clotting yet. The blood had soaked through all the layers of his tunic creating a circle that covered most of his front and even covered a portion of his pants.

Qui-Gon ripped off a large corner from Obi-Wan's robe and folded it before pressing it against the wound. His Padawan flinched under his touch, but didn't make a sound despite his obvious discomfort. Qui-Gon used the force to help the wound begin to heal before he pulled Obi-Wan's tunic back down and carefully positioned his belt over the makeshift bandage and tightened it. Resting his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, Qui-Gon allowed him the time to recover from the extra pain he had caused while taking care of the wound.

Qui-Gon pulled out his comm and attempted to reach the Council though he knew there was little chance of getting a message out. He was fairly certain the Loviens had blocked all communications to and from the planet. Which would explain why they hadn't been able to reach them to request permission to land. It didn't worry him greatly though, he was due to check in with the Council in a few hours and if they didn't hear from him then they would most likely send help the next morning if he still couldn't be reached.

"We have to keep moving, do you think you can walk?" Qui-Gon questioned, though he already knew what his Padawan would say.

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan accepted his Master's help to get up. He didn't argue when Qui-Gon wrapped his arm around his waist, determined to help him walk. "Master, where are we going?"

"To a village, just over an hour from here. I used to know someone there. If they're still around perhaps they can help us."


	3. Chapter 2

Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi had been injured multiple times in his two years as an apprentice, but he had never felt a pain quite like this before. His wound by all means wasn't minor however he was sure it shouldn't hurt like this. It was like a rapidly spreading fire, starting in his wound and growing until his whole midsection felt like it was burning. At the rate it was spreading Obi-Wan was sure his whole body would soon be engulfed in the flames of pain.

He shivered violently, trying not to cling tighter to his master as the chills wracked his body. All he wanted to do was lay down in a warm bed and sleep until this had all passed, instead he dragged one foot in front of the other as he and his Master slowly traveled to... Where had his Master said they were going? As the question echoed through his mind, the toe of his shoe caught a small rock causing him to stumble.

Qui-Gon easily broke his Padawans fall by carefully lowering both of them to their knees. He gently rested his hands on Obi-Wan's shoulders as the boy wrapped his arms tightly around himself breathing harshly through the pain. "Take deep slow breaths, Padawan."

They had at least another thirty minutes of walking to go and with Obi-Wan's quickly deteriorating condition Qui-Gon worried he wouldn't make it much further. He used the force to help Obi-Wan with the pain as he gently laid him down. He loosened Obi-Wan's belt and pulled his tunic away from his sticky blood soaked skin. He pressed another piece of robe on top of the growing pile on the wound before carefully pulling his tunic down and tightening his belt over it. The bleeding had yet to slow, if the wound had been any larger Qui-Gon was sure his Padawan would have already bled to death by now, as it was he feared he didn't have much time left.

Wordlessly Qui-Gon scoped his Padawan up into his arms, frowning when Obi-Wan's feverish forehead rested against the crook of his neck and the boy offered no protest to being carried. Immediately feeling Obi-Wan's blood soaking through his own tunic and sensing his pain through their bond, Qui-Gon decided to use the force to put him in a healing trance.

Obi-Wan didn't care to utter a word of protest when his Master picked him up, instead he rested his head against his neck and wrapped the fingers of his left hand tightly in Qui-Gon's robe seeking comfort from the elder Jedi. With the fire of pain still spreading he welcomed the healing trance his Master eased him into.

* * *

The planet's sun was beginning to set when the Master Padawan team made it to the outskirts of the village, much to Qui-Gon's relief. He sat next to a tree with Obi-Wan still unconscious in his arms. Silently, he waited for darkness so they could walk into the village unnoticed. Qui-Gon watched as the sun slowly set, he could hear the village children playing and the hustle and bustle of the Loviens cleaning up the day's work. He absently wondered how a planet seemingly so peaceful could have so much violence hidden away.

Obi-Wan stirred in his arms, pulling Qui-Gon's attention away from the village. His Padawan's cheeks were bright pink with fever and every once in a while he shivered violently in his arms. The boy's brow was creased in pain despite the healing trance Qui-Gon had him in. He pressed the back of his hand against his Padawan's forehead, his own frown deepening as he felt the heat. He sighed in relief as the sun officially set and he carefully adjusted his grip on Obi-Wan before quietly working his way towards the village to begin his search for his old friends hut. Hoping that he would still be there.

The village hadn't changed much in the last several years, though when Qui-Gon found the hut he was looking for he noticed the absence of the sign that had brought him there all those years ago. Worried that maybe his friend was no longer there he considered leaving knowing that his Padawan would not survive another fight if it was in fact a stranger behind the door. However he felt no warning from the force against whoever was inside the hut so Qui-Gon gently shifted his Padawan in his arms freeing his hand enough to be able to knock on the door. After several moments with no answer he tried again.

"Go away!" A voice shouted from inside. Unwilling to draw attention to himself by calling back he knocked on the door again.

"I said GO AWAY!" the grumbling clearly annoyed voice slowly shuffled towards the door.

Qui-Gon was quickly growing impatient and was in a hurry to get out of the street away from potentially prying eyes. So when the door opened ever so slightly, he quickly shoved his way through.

"What on Lovien!" The voice shouted as he was shoved back. "Just who do you think you are barging in here like this!"

Qui-Gon force pushed the door closed as he turned to face his old friend. He stood silently as the person behind the voice rushed to turn on a light. As the dim light chased away the worst of the shadows in the room Qui-Gon couldn't help but smirk at the sight of his old friend Healer Halvison.

"Qui-Gon Jinn," several questions rushed through Halvison's mind before his eyes finally landed on the form in his friend's arms. "Lay him here," as he spoke he led his friend to the wooden kitchen table, quickly clearing off his cup and plate from dinner. As Qui-Gon laid the boy down Halvison got his first look at the amount of blood covering the two. Walking up to the table he found himself looking down at the incredibly pale face of a young boy. "Qui-Gon, before I help him you must know they took away my license. I'm only allowed to treat animals now."

"We have nowhere else to go, an entire village tried to kill us today and the wound hasn't stopped bleeding yet."

"Was he stabbed?" Halvison asked, at Qui-Gon's nod he rushed to get his small medical bag. "Take off his tunic!"

Qui-Gon worked quickly to remove Obi-Wan's belt and tunic, though he left the makeshift bandages in place. He found a rag and soaked it in the sink as Halvison started a fire in the stove and set a wooden handled metal object inside. Qui-Gon gently wiped Obi-Wan's feverish brow as the Padawan began to stir.

"M-master?" Obi-Wan's voice was barely a whisper, "where are we?"

"We're with my old friend, Halvision. He's going to help you, Padawan." Obi-Wan nodded at his Masters words, his heavy eyes slowly closing.

"It hurts, Master." Obi-Wan frowned deeply and leaned into his Master's touch.

"He was stabbed by one of their vibroblades wasn't he?" Qui-Gon merely nodded in response, but that was all Halvison needed to confirm his fears. "Qui-Gon, the people here, they put a poison of sorts on their blades. What it is exactly is so much a secret that only one person in each village knows how to make it and there isn't a known antidote." Halvison paused to make sure Qui-Gon was listening, at the Jedi's nod he continued. "They created it to insure that every wound that drew blood would kill, no matter how small. First it thins the blood in hopes the victim will quickly bleed to death.

"Second, it causes a fever which will either leave him dehydrated if he isn't forced to drink or it will climb high enough to cause brain damage. Third, it causes a great deal of pain. The few who have survived the blood loss and fever have died because of the pain putting so much stress on their heart eventually causing it to fail." Halvison paused unsure of how to word the next part and finally went with the straightforward option, "no one has ever survived. I'm sorry, Qui-Gon, but the odds of him surviving are slim to none."


	4. Chapter 3

The shadows danced along the walls of the small hut that held the Jedi Master and his Padawan, as the flames in the wood stove continued to grow. Obi-Wan's sweat soaked body glistened in the light of the fire as he began to thrash on the table. The fever had spiked quickly and without warning as blood still leaked from his wound. Halvison worked to gather his limited amount of supplies while Qui-Gon ran a cold cloth over his Padawans body.

Halvison worked as fast as he could, but even still he doubted it would be enough. His supplies were limited at best and past experience told him the boys chances were less then slim. He could hear Qui-Gon speaking to the boy, encouraging and reassuring him that everything would be okay. Halvison sighed heavily, knowing he was once again about to fight a useless battle. Picking up the supplies he would need first he finally turned to face the team in his kitchen.

"I need to clean his wound before I can close it. I'm afraid I have nothing to help with the pain, so you may need to hold him down while I clean it. I'm sorry."

Qui-Gon merely nodded as he moved to stand at his Padawans shoulders holding on tightly as Halvison began cleaning the wound. Obi-Wan immediately tried to pull away from the healer, but Qui-Gon simply tightened his grip on the boy, keeping him as still as possible. The young Padawan reached up to take hold of his Masters wrists and held them tightly, as though they were lifelines. Qui-Gon winced at the pain the boy's grip caused, but didn't make a move to stop him knowing what his Padawan was feeling was far worse. Finally Halvison finished cleaning the wound and went to the sink. The water that swirled down the drain tinged pink with the young Jedi's blood. He quietly dried his hands on a towel before picking up a much smaller rag and rolling it up.

"I need to close the wound now. This part is going to hurt much worse," at that he held out the rag he had sloppily folded. "Have him bite down on this."

Qui-Gon took it from him with only a slight nod of his head. He moved to stand beside Obi-Wan, frowning as he paused to actually look at the boy's appearance. Sweat dripped from his pale face and his brow was creased in pain, Qui-Gon once again used the force to help ease his pain. He wished he could put the boy in a healing trance, but his earlier attempt had been prevented as Obi-Wan was unable to find his center amidst the pain. Any trance Qui-Gon was able to put him in the pain quickly roused him from it.

"Padawan," he spoke softly as he gently brushed the boy's sweat soaked spikes from his face. "Padawan, Halvison is going to close your wound now. I'm sorry Obi-Wan, but there is nothing here to help with the pain." Obi-Wan nodded his acknowledgement and mentally braced himself for the pain he was about to endure.

Halvison grabbed the wooden handle of the knife before opening the door to the stove and releasing the blade. He took his place at the boys hip and silently wished he had another way to close the wound. "Are you ready?" He questioned, not really expecting much in the way of response.

"Bite down on this Padawan," Qui-Gon said as he slid the rag between the boy's teeth. Obi-Wan wordlessly did as he was told, the corner of his mouth turning up in a small smile as he attempted to silently reassure his Master that he would be okay. Qui-Gon smiled back, patting the boy's face gently before moving his hands down to rest on his shoulders. Once again Obi-Wan reached up to grab his Masters wrists, bracing himself for the pain he knew was to come.

Qui-Gon gave a small nod to Halvison and the healer stepped forward to press the hot blade against the boy's wound. Obi-Wan instantly bucked against the blade pressed to his wound, squirming in his Master's grip before finally falling limp as the pain became too much for his battered body to bear. As the healer tended to the burn he had just created Qui-Gon carefully tucked the padawan braid behind the young Jedi's ear. He frowned as the boy stirred under his touch, his pale face scrunching in pain. For the first time since they had arrived at the healers home Qui-Gon acknowledged to himself that they truly were fighting against the odds on this.


	5. Chapter 4

Qui-Gon silently ran his fingers through his Padawans hair while Halvison cleaned up the small kitchen. The room was now only lit by the fire in the stove, all other lights had been turned off to avoid bringing any unwanted attention to the hut. Obi-Wan hadn't woke since he passed out though his brow had creased as the pain disturbed the rest he so badly needed. Qui-Gon frowned as he carefully wiped a wet cloth across the boy's brow. His Padawan had been hurt so many times in the two short years they had been a team that Qui-Gon had often wondered if taking on Obi-Wan had been a good idea. He often doubted that he was doing the boy any good by training him, perhaps he was only leading him to his death. Immediately regretting his line of thought Qui-Gon abruptly stood up, picking up the bowl of now warm water and dumping it in the sink. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his comm while waiting for the bowl to fill up, he was quickly disappointed when once again he found no signal.

"They've blocked all incoming and outgoing signals," Halvison informed.

Qui-Gon wordlessly shoved the comm back into his pocket before shutting off the sink and carrying the bowl back to the table his Padawan was laying on. Wetting the cloth he carefully wiped the boy's brow and chest. "What is going on here? I thought your people were peaceful?"

Halvison laughed, a sad hopeless sort of laugh, "no. If only that was the case. The Louvien's have trained every generation to fight for as long as anyone can remember. We are a fearful planet, always preparing for an attack that everyone believed would one day come. According to the history we were taught, thousands of years ago there was an attack on our planet. The Louvien's barely survived because they were unprepared. Our government decided from then on they would train everyone to fight, but they kept it a secret from the galaxy in hopes that whoever dared attack us would be caught off guard by our skill."

Qui-Gon silently took in this new information, wishing there was some way to inform the Jedi teams he knew would soon be on their way. Obi-Wan suddenly moaned and stirred slightly under his Master's careful touch. "So why the sudden uprising? I've been here before without any problems."

"We were attacked a little over a week ago and the people are scared. They have attacked and killed anyone who has dared to land here since."

Obi-Wan continued to stir as the pain grew, Qui-Gon used the force to ease it as much as he could though it made little difference. "What do you know about this poison?"

"The poison is Louviens best kept secret. It was designed to kill even through the slightest cut. Whether from blood loss, complications from the fever or a heart attack due to the pain becoming so intense." Halvison sighed heavily, shoving a drawer closed before continuing. "It is so much of a secret that only one person in each village knows how to make it. And no one has been able to create a cure."

The small hut fell silent as Qui-Gon processed all he had been told before finally asking another question, "why did they take away your license?" After a few moments of silence Qui-Gon looked away from his Padawan and up at Halvison. The Louvien was staring at the ground, clearly lost in painful memories. It was several more seconds before he swallowed hard and looked up at Qui-Gon.

"When we were attacked I attempted to help the victims that weren't gravely injured. I was hoping to find a cure for the poison... Instead I found a great deal of heartache. By the time everyone found out what I was doing most of the victims had already died. My wife and I had failed to find a cure and were unable to ease the symptoms to give them a fighting chance. When they figured out what we were doing they attacked, killing all the victims that had survived until that point. My wife, Shaleen, tried to stop them." He paused, taking a moment to gain control of his emotions. "They killed her on the spot and left me to live saying that it would serve as punishment enough. As an afterthought they took my license."

Qui-Gon was left speechless, he had never expected something as bad as this. He silently pondered how best to respond, when Obi-Wan suddenly jerked awake with a gasp.

"Master! Master, it hurts." Obi-Wan's eyes wildly searched for his Master before Qui-Gon moved to stand in his line of sight. "Master, please make it stop. It hurts..."

"I know Padawan, try to release it to the force." Qui-Gon soothed, gently brushing his fingers through the boy's hair.

"I can't. It hurts too bad, I can't find my center." Tears stung Obi-Wan's eyes as his body tensed against the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. "Master, please make it stop." A soft sob escaped his mouth as he reached out for his Master, his fingers found Qui-Gons tunic and clutched it tightly.

Qui-Gon wrapped his free hand around his Padawans, while the other still ran carefully through his spiky hair. Sweat no longer drenched his body as the fever took hold of him and he grew dehydrated. Obi-Wan began to thrash on the table as his Master once again tried to use the force to soothe the boy. He tried to center Obi-Wan through their bond, but the pain was too great. It overwhelmed all of the boy's senses causing him to only be able to focus on the fire coursing through his body.

Halvison moved quickly, filling a cup with cold water knowing the young Jedi desperately needed to drink something and now would be the easiest time to get anything in him. He wordlessly handed the cup to Qui-Gon who quickly wrapped an arm around the boys shoulders and lifted him up.

"Drink, Padawan." Obi-Wan obediently did as he was told managing a few sips before the pain hit him with renewed force.

"Master!" Obi-Wan cried out before turning on his side and curling up tightly as he fought off the waves of nausea and pain. The water had barely reached his stomach when his body rebelled against it.

Qui-Gon just barely managed to move his Padawan to the edge of the table before he threw up the little water he had been able to drink.

Obi-Wans stomach was quickly emptied, but he continued to dry heave. "Master, please!" He sobbed, once again grabbing Qui-Gons tunic and clinging to it.

Wordlessly Qui-Gon scoped his Padawan up into his arms and moved to the cushioned chair in the sitting area of the small hut. He held the boy close to his chest, rocking him ever so slightly and wrapped the force around them.

Halvison could only watch as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn did his best to comfort his young Padawan. The boy clinging to his Master as though his life depended on it and Halvison supposed it did. He only hoped that with the force Qui-Gon might be able to save the young Jedi. But he knew the odds were stacked against him.


	6. Chapter 5

Obi-Wan twitched silently in his masters arms as the pain in his body intensified. It felt as though his entire midsection was on fire, the burning sensation slowly spreading up his torso. Obi-Wan held the front of his master's tunic in a white knuckled grip as the pain tried to pull him from his uneasy sleep. Unconsciously he pressed his face against Qui-Gon's shoulder, seeking some comfort from the pain.

Qui-Gon stirred at the sound of a small moan, his blurry eyes instantly landed upon his Padawan. With trained eyes he quickly noted the flush on Obi-Wan's cheeks and the way his forehead creased in pain. Qui-Gon could feel the heat coming off his Padawan in waves, he carefully adjusted his grip on the boy to free a hand and gently pressed the back of it against Obi-Wan's face. Concern flooding his heart as he felt just how warm his apprentice was.

Sensing Qui-Gon's gaze, Obi-Wan opened his eyes. "Master?"

"Padawan, how are you feeling?"

"It hurts," he attempted to speak clearly, but his words still trailed off in a moan. "I'm cold," if the words came out with a hint of a whine Qui-Gon did not mention it. Obi-Wan briefly wondered if it was a sign of just how badly he was doing. When he opened his mouth to ask a surge of pain caused him to gasp instead.

Qui-Gon stood suddenly with Obi-Wan still cradled in his arms. "Halvison."

The Lovien woke with a start, his foggy brain barely registering the sight of Qui-Gon laying his apprentice on the table. It wasn't until Qui-Gon looked up at him that his mind seemed to catch up with what was happening. His joints creaked as he stood, but he made no complaint as he moved to stand beside his old friend. Just as the Jedi Master had Halvison gently pressed the back of his hand against the boy's cheek, smiling softly when he saw that Obi-Wan was watching him.

"How are you feeling Obi-Wan?" He watched as Obi-Wan met his Master's eyes, barely catching Qui-Gon's slight nod as he focused solely on the boy.

"My stomach feels like it's on fire, yet I'm incredibly cold."

Halvison merely nodded at his answer and carefully prodded the burn on Obi-Wan's side. "Can you show me exactly where it hurts?"

Obi-Wan nodded, moving his hand to indicate his hips "from here," he raised his hand to a point a few inches up his rib cage. "to here."

Qui-Gon watched as the healer's shoulders heaved in a sigh and he raised a hand to once again gauge how hot the boy's fever was burning. For a moment Qui-Gon felt fear rising up inside him, but he quickly released it to the force and placed his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder to ground himself. His Padawan was still alive, therefore there was still hope.

"Well?"

The healer's eyes snapped up to meet Qui-Gon's, hearing the impatience in the Jedi's voice. "He's doing better then what I expected. The pain usually spreads much faster, everyone I've worked with in the past was typically overwhelmed by the pain within six hours. If I'm not mistaken Obi-Wan here is about seven hours into this ordeal and the pain still seems to be at a tolerable level, correct?" He directed the question at the Padawan on the table. When Obi-Wan looked up at him with bleary eyes and nodded in confirmation, he continued.

"It's too early to be sure of anything, but it is a promising sign. He is the only force sensitive that I've ever seen encounter this poison. My hope is that the force will help slow down the effects of it. Perhaps his body will be able to withstand the effects of the poison until it has run its course." He finished the sentence with a small shrug, unwilling to allow the team too much hope. "Though we do need to get his fever down, it is getting dangerously high."

Obi-Wan had drifted off shortly after responding to the healers question and was now twitching in his sleep, mumbling incoherently. Qui-Gon simply nodded his response before moving to refill the bowl of water that they had previously abandoned. As it slowly filled he allowed himself to hope that just maybe the odds were turning in their favor. However Obi-Wan's jumbled words caused his fear to spike again, he could sense the boy growing more agitated as the seconds ticked by. When the water finally reached a level just above halfway in the large bowl he shut the faucet off and reached to pick up the dish.

"Master!"

The sudden pain filled cry shocked both the healer and the Jedi, the bowl slipping from the latter's hands shattering as it landed back in the sink. Halvison covered the Padawan's mouth as he began to thrash on the table, words still tumbling from his mouth though neither man in the room could make any sense of what was being said.

Qui-Gon grabbed the boys shoulders and shook him gently, "Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan! Padawan, please open your eyes." Obi-Wan fell silent at his Masters words though his body still thrashed under Qui-Gon's hands. "Obi-Wan, open your eyes!" Qui-Gon took on a more ordering tone and was rewarded with Obi-Wan's uncomprehending eyes peering up at him. "Padawan," a moment later the boy's movements stilled and his gaze cleared.

Halvison put a hand on Qui-Gon's shoulder, gaining both's attention before either could say another word. With both sets of eyes on him he raised a finger to his lips in a silent request for them to remain quiet.

Qui-Gon listened carefully, attempting to hear whatever it was that had captured the healers attention. It took several long seconds before he heard it, a knock somewhere down the street followed by voices. Though he couldn't make out what they were saying he could hear the demanding tone.

"They heard him! Get him up quickly and take him into the refresher, do not make a sound!"

Obi-Wan was already pushing himself upright and swinging his legs off the table when Qui-Gon wrapped an arm around his waist helping him stand. The two slowly made their way to the room as the voices grew closer. Once inside Qui-Gon pulled the two of them against the wall, placing himself between Obi-Wan and the door. Obi-Wan leaned breathlessly against his Master, the pain causing him to nearly double over as it seemed to spread through his exhausted body. When the knock finally sounded against Halvison's door, the two held their breath. It seemed that just when the odds appeared to be in their favor the tables had turned again.


	7. Chapter 6

Obi-Wan leaned against his Master, pressing his face into his back trying to stifle the sound of his gasps for air. The pain periodically shot through his body, with each spike he gripped his Masters tunic tighter. He twisted it in his fists until unbeknownst to him it was pulled tight around Qui-Gon. He was trying to be strong, really he was, but the pain was beyond overwhelming.

Qui-Gon moved so that his arm was awkwardly wrapped around Obi-Wan without forfeiting his view from the door. He felt his padawan lean into his touch and took a small amount of comfort in the fact the boy seemed pretty aware at the moment. That comfort was short lived however with the harsh knocking on the door.

"I'm coming!" Halvison shouted from his position in another room. He did his best to make it appear as though he had just woken up.

Qui-Gon felt his padawan flinch as the door slammed open seconds after the lock clicked. Heavy footsteps caused him to tense, fearing that they would search the small hut.

"What's going on?" Halvison's voice shook, but he stood boldly in the way of the Lovien.

Qui-Gon heard him gasp as he was roughly shoved aside followed by a crash as he fell to the floor.

"Is it about the scream?!" He half shouted in desperation causing the Lovien to turn and face him.

"What do you know?"

Obi-Wan cringed as another spasm of pain ripped through him. He couldn't help the low moan that escaped him, but thankfully was muffled by Qui-Gon's tunic. The pain had come in steady waves, so he was caught completely off guard when another wave hit off rhythm. The sudden surge caused him to sink to his knees as he cried out in pain. He wrapped his arms around his midsection and pressed his forehead to the ground biting his cheeks to keep from crying out again. He was only half aware of his Master leaving the room.

"You will rush outside and search for the sound in other huts and tell everyone who asks that this hut was clear. You will not mention this to anyone."

He barely registered the sound of the door slamming closed before he was suddenly scooped up into familiar arms. He was vaguely aware of his Masters voice talking to someone in a hushed tone, but he didn't have enough energy to focus on the words. Instead he clung to his Masters tunic, pressing his face into the crook of Qui-Gon's neck.

"You have to leave, Qui-Gon," Halvison muttered as he shoved food into a bag.

"He's hurt Halvison, and everyone out there is trying to kill us. Where do you suggest we go?" Qui-Gon didn't bother trying to mask the sarcasm in his voice. He lay his Padawan down on the table, gently brushing his spiky hair back with one hand while and with the other he carefully ran a cool cloth across Obi-Wan's chest. The boy mumbled incoherently his blurry eyes scanning the room, but not seeing anything.

Halvison paused, looking up at the Jedi team. "His fever is getting worse," he commented absently. His shoulders seemed to sag as he watched Qui-Gon attempt to bring the boys fever down. "There's a small spring about two miles from here, take him there. The water is cool and should help to bring his fever down. The villages are on lock down, no one is allowed to go past the outskirts of town. So you should be safe there. Another thirty yards or so from the spring is a small cave, just big enough for the two of you to take shelter in."

He resumed packing the small bag, finishing it off by adding two blankets at the top. "I've added anything and everything that I can think of that might be of help to you. I won't be able to come with you tonight as they will suspect something if I disappear. They'll be making another round soon so you must go now." Halvison thrust the bag into Qui-Gons hands, who in turn looped it over his shoulder. He quietly looked over Obi-Wan's wound before placing a fresh bacta patch over it.

"Head West Qui-Gon, you can't miss it."

Qui-Gon only nodded before scooping up his now silent padawan. The boy instinctively grabbed his Master's tunics in a white knuckled grip, his forehead again coming to a rest against Qui-Gon's neck. Qui-Gon couldn't help but smile at the boy's content sigh, wrapping him in the force he hoped that this moment would stretch into several minutes providing his padawan a break from the pain. However it was not to be, a low moan escaped Obi-Wan's mouth as pain caused his forehead to wrinkle.

"Go Qui-Gon, quickly before the pain gets worse and he wakes."

Qui-Gon didn't miss the note of urgency in his friend's tone, he turned on his heel and headed for the door. Halvison hot on his heels quickly opened the door for him. "May the force be with you."

Halvison smiled ever so slightly, "and with you my friend." He watched them disappear into the night before quietly turning back into his small hut. "You're going to need it," he whispered.

* * *

Authors Note

Boy am I sorry guys! I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this story! I won't bore you with excuses though lol. I went over the last few chapters and made some changes, nothing too serious I don't think. Just edited and added a few lines here and there. I changed the beginning scenes a bit, but given how long it's been since I first posted you may not even notice the difference. As always, thank you all so much for the reviews! I really do read them all and try to improve so point out anything I may have messed up on and please share what I do well so I can make that better too! You all are the greatest! Sorry again for the crazy late update!

Jessimess


	8. Chapter 7

Qui-Gon's arms burned as once again he was forced to bear the weight of his fifteen year old Padawan. Though he wouldn't dream of complaining or stopping, in this moment Obi-Wan's weight in his arms was a necessary burden. A burden he would gladly carry no matter how heavy the boy grew. Nevertheless he sighed with relief as the spring Halvison has mentioned finally came into view. Wasting no time, he carried his feverish Padawan to the edge of the small spring and carefully sat him down. He gently pulled his tunic from Obi-Wan's fist, his Padawan mumbled something incoherent as the fever continued to rise. Qui-Gon quickly sat the bag of supplies aside and began to remove Obi-Wan's tunic and pants. He then removed his own outer clothes and pulled off his shoes before once again picking up his Padawan.

No longer able to fist his Masters tunic Obi-Wan wrapped his arms tightly around Qui-Gon's neck, too fevered to notice the elder Jedi flinch as his heated forehead touched his shoulder. He was so caught up in the pain and fever burning through his body that he didn't realize what was happening until the cold water touched his skin.

Qui-Gon shifted his grip on his Padawan as the boy yelped and clung to him tighter in an effort to get away from the cold water. He carefully lowered himself and the boy into the shallow spring until he was sitting on his knees with Obi-Wan leaned against him. Though the boy shivered violently, Qui-Gon could still feel the warmth radiating from the Padawan's skin. He held his Padawan tightly as fever dreams caused him to thrash and cry out. He whispered soothing words aloud and silently begged the force for help.

They stayed there like that until Obi-Wan's skin no longer felt like fire underwater. The sun was beginning to rise and Qui-Gon's eyes burned with exhaustion, when they left the cool spring.

"It hurts Master," Obi-Wan's voice was barely above a whisper. He shivered violently as his master lifted him out of the water, no longer because of the extreme heat in his body but due to the fact that he was genuinely cold.

Qui-Gon held the boy a little tighter as he carried him to the cave. As he settled the boy onto the small pallet he had made in the cave he was struck at how much the boy had grown in their two years together and yet how young he still was.

"Just hold on Padawan, I will find a way to get us out of here."

Obi-Wan's surprisingly clear eyes met his Masters, "the pain is getting worse." He swallowed hard before continuing, "I-I don't think I can handle it much longer…"

"You are strong Obi-Wan, you can beat this. You have something the others didn't have, the force. Let's try a healing trance. I'll help you find your center, okay?"

"Yes Master," Obi-Wan smiled faintly. Grateful for his Masters presence.


End file.
